Rod Stewart recalls Jeff Beck as “the finest,” an otherworldly axeman with whom he created one of rock music’s most illustrious collaborations more than 50 years ago. Beck, who died Tuesday (Jan. 10) at the age of 78 after getting bacterial meningitis, was a guitarist “from another planet,” Stewart writes in a social media statement.
Demi Lovato’s ‘Holy Fvck’ Poster is Banned in the UK for Offending Christians. Beck “brought me and Ronnie Wood to the USA in the late 60s in his band the Jeff Beck Group and we haven’t looked back since,” he adds in a photo of the two together.
He was one of the few guitarists who would truly listen to me sing and respond when performing live. Jeff, you were the best, my friend. Thank you so much for everything. RIP”. Stewart joined Beck’s post-Yardbirds outfit in 1967 as a singer and occasional songwriter.
Stewart appeared on the albums Truth (from 1968) and Beck-Ola (1969), both of which charted in the United States and launched Stewart’s Hall of Fame career. The years passed, yet the magic remained. The couple reunited in 1985 for “People Get Ready,” a rare hit under Beck’s own name that charted in the United States, Australia, and Europe.
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The pioneering guitarist is regarded as one of the most gifted artists to play the six-string, as seen by the outpouring of support from the music community, which includes tributes on social media from Mick Jagger, David Gilmour, Jimmy Page, Ronnie Wood, Tony Iommi, and Buddy Guy. Estates of John Lennon, David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix, and others also attended.
“Now Jeff is gone,” writes Ronnie Wood, “I feel like one of my band of brothers has departed this earth, and I’m going to terribly miss him. I’m expressing my condolences to Sandra, his family, and everyone who loved him. I’d like to thank him for all of our early days in the Jeff Beck Group, conquering America.”
Beck won eight Grammys and was nominated for 17 more during his career, and he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice — first as a member of the Yardbirds in 1992 and once as a solo performer in 2009.
Stewart has had an especially rough time recently, with two of his brothers dying in the same month in 2022. The two-time Hall of Famer is set to tour North America, Australia, and New Zealand in 2023, as well as begin a residency at Caesars Palace’s Colosseum in May.